If only
by AurelieBonhoffen
Summary: Jack has Jamie, Bunnymund has Sophie, what about Sandy, and Pitch, Tooth and North? (Also includes Jamie but whatevs) Warning: Character death, sad as hell.
1. Chapter 1: Hope

Title: Hope

Characters: Jamie/OC

Summary: Why Jamie still believes...

...

Jamie knew something was wrong when his father walked into his pre-school, instead of his sister Hope. "Jamie, come on, we need to go.", He held out his hand, and Jamie took it, not knowing something terrible had happened.

...

"Jamie, honey, I'm so sorry.", His mother quickly pulled him into a hug. She was quite a pretty woman, with brown hair that reached her shoulders and warm brown eyes, but her face was streaked with red lines.

"What happened? Where's Hope?", He asked, and she began to cry. "Mummy?"

"Something happened at Hope's school today sweetie.", She began, then a man in a white coat walked out of a nearby room.

"Is Jamie here?", He asked, and the little boy ran forward. "Hope wants to see you."

Jamie quickly ran past him and inside the room, "Hope!"

His sister was lying on a bed, with tubes coming out of her arm. "Jamie.", She smiled softly, even though most of her face was bandaged. Her normally long, brown hair was torn away in some places, and in others it was cut short.

"What happened?", Jamie asked, and Hope rolled her blue eyes.

"Some people don't believe in magic, that's all.", She grumbled, and Jamie gasped.

"No!"

"I know, right!", Hope yelled. "Honestly, how could they live without Santa, or the Tooth Fairy, or Sandman, or the Easter Bunny, or Jack Frost?", Her hand reached up to brush her necklace, a delicate snowflake made of diamond. Jamie had never seen that before, and he wondered where she got it.

"Silly.", Jamie shook his head, and Hope sighed.

"Remember when we first saw the Tooth Fairy?", She asked, and Jamie's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! She was all green, and looked like a hummingbird!", He grinned.

"What about Santa?", She asked, and Jamie giggled.

"He had a long beard, and has the Naughty and Nice lists on his arms!", He yelled proudly.

"Easter Bunny?"

"Has a boomerang, kinda grown up.", Jamie shrugged.

"Sandman?"

"Short, and made of sand."

"What about Jack Frost?", Hope asked, and Jamie shrugged again.

"I've never seen him.", He sighed, and Hope's eyes widened.

"Really? Well, guess what?", Jamie leaned in, and she smiled, "I saw him at school today.", She whispered, and Jamie gasped.

"Really?", He whispered, and Hope nodded. "Wow!"

"I know!"

"Is that why you're here?", Jamie asked, "Because people didn't believe you?"

"Yeah.", Hope sighed, and Jamie's hands clenched into a fist."Jamie?"

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!", He yelled, and Hope sat up. "Just because they can't see magic, doesn't mean that it isn't there!"

"Jamie...", Hope quickly pulled her brother into a one-armed hug, "I don't care what other people think, as long as you believe, that's all I need." She smiled softly, before slowly taking off her necklace. "Here, I want you to have this. That way Jack Frost knows you believe.", She gently placed the snowflake around his neck, and he smiled.

"How do you know he'll know I believe?"

"Because I got it from him", She answered, and Jamie gasped. "Now, it's getting late, you should go home.", She pointed towards the door.

"But I want to stay here with you!", He yelled, and Hope huffed.

"If you stay here any longer, you'll be too tired to see me!", She argued, and he ran out the door. No sooner had he run out, did her father come in. "Dad."

"I heard what you said.", He smiled before grabbing a chair. "Why did you do it?"

"Because,", She glanced at the chart on the bedside table, "I don't think I'll see him tomorrow."

And, that night, Hope died in the hospital during her sleep.

A week later, they held her funeral. It was snowing, which was weird for that time of year, but Jamie was sure he saw a white-haired boy behind the tree, who had bright blue eyes. "Jack Frost.", He mouthed, then the figure disappeared in a flurry of snow.

...

Two weeks after her death, Jamie got a letter. It read:

'Jamie,

I want you to keep this on your bedside table, along with my necklace.

It's the last thing I wrote, and I want you to have it.

Hope.'

Along with the letter, came a poem, and Jamie unfolded it before placing it on his bedside table, words facing his bed.

"Winter.  
White.  
All I see,  
coating everything like a soft blanket.  
Icicles hang off the trees,  
and I see my reflection in the clear ice.  
Snow crunches beneath my feet,  
and a burst of cool air sends shivers down my spine.  
Yet, there is something in the air,  
Magic.  
My childish thoughts take over,  
and I close my eyes as pictures of  
elves in red appear before me.  
Then, I see it.  
No,  
_him.  
_Jack Frost.", He read aloud, before sighing. "I miss you, Hope."

...

What have I done?


	2. Chapter 2: Dreams

28th November, 1990

The doctor sighed as he stroked the newborn's head. "If she doesn't wake up by tomorrow, we'll turn off the life support.", He sighed, before leading the two parents out. The newborn in the cradle whimpered as she was left alone, and turned uneasily in her sleep.

The window blew open ever so slightly, and a short, sandy-looking man blew in, his smile sad. He pressed his hand to the baby's head, and the girl's eyes opened, revealing the brightest green anyone had ever seen. Her chubby, pale face was framed with, what was starting to become, dark locks, and a toothless grin added to her perfect features.

The man smiled, and blew on his palm. Fairies formed out of sand, and the baby laughed as she reached up, trying to grab at the creatures. Their dainty wings fluttered in the air, and, as the lights outside flickered off, they began to glow. A stubby finger brushed a sandy foot, and the image faded. Tears welled up in those green eyes, and the sandy man swiftly formed a butterfly, which fluttered around the baby's head, lulling her into a warm, cosy sleep.

28th November, 1990

The doctor sighed as he stroked the newborn's head. "If she doesn't wake up by tomorrow, we'll turn off the life support.", He sighed, before leading the two parents out. The newborn in the cradle whimpered as she was left alone, and turned uneasily in her sleep.

The window blew open ever so slightly, and a short, sandy-looking man blew in, his smile sad. He pressed his hand to the baby's head, and the girl's eyes opened, revealing the brightest green anyone had ever seen. Her chubby, pale face was framed with, what was starting to become, dark locks, and a toothless grin added to her perfect features.

The man smiled, and blew on his palm. Fairies formed out of sand, and the baby laughed as she reached up, trying to grab at the creatures. Their dainty wings fluttered in the air, and, as the lights outside flickered off, they began to glow. A stubby finger brushed a sandy foot, and the image faded. Tears welled up in those green eyes, and the sandy man swiftly formed a butterfly, which fluttered around the baby's head, lulling her into a warm, cosy sleep.

18th June, 1998

"I wish I had friends…", The tiny baby had grown into a bouncing child, with long, wavy hair and an inquisitive nature.

But, every day, she was teased for being deaf. Pushed, abandoned, left alone, she felt pain every day.

But, she couldn't wait for night to come.

Because that's when _he_ came.

Sandman.

And, like every other night, the window was open, and the chubby man floated in on a familiar puff of sand. "Sandman!", She smiled, and he smiled in return, before blowing the familiar dreams around the room. Fairies danced with people, unicorns and pegasi raced around the room, mermaids swimming below the bed. She laughed, and Sandman smiled a sad smile.

Her laugh was beautiful, sweet, like sugar, yet she couldn't hear it.

That hurt more than anything.

26th August, 2005

"Why can't I get this done!?", The frazzled teen yelled, and Sandy wrapped his chubby arms around her. "I know, I know, I need to calm down." Over the 15 years of friendship, the pair had found a way to communicate, Sandy using dream sand instead of words. "But, how can I write a story that's magical and sad? There are no stories like that!", She snapped, and Sandy rolled his eyes. "What?"

He smiled a sweet smile, and blew on his palm. Sand fluttered in the air, before forming two familiar figures.

"Us?", She breathed, before shaking her head. "I want to try something different, Sandy. I know, I thought of that before…", She pouted, and the figures changed. Instead of the legend and the teen, it was a woman with dainty wings and feathers, who was walking with an old man in a fur-trimmed outfit. "Santa Claus and a fairy? Honestly Sandy, the teacher won't believe me!", She laughed, and Sandy pouted, efore waving his hand a final time.

Sanda and the Tooth Fairy vanished, and in their place was a flower. It slowly wilted away, and revealed a girl in a frilly dress. "That's very Thumbelina…", She breathed, then the girl turned to face her. Her face was blank, empty. "What are you trying to tell me?"

Sandy grinned before grabbing the paper and writing,'Sometimes the most beautiful things have a fault.'

She looked at the sheet, then at him,"Really?" There was about thirty seconds fo silence before she grinned, "Thank you, Sandy, you saved my skin!" She kissed his head before beginning to write.

She got an A for that story.

29th March, 2010

She didn't hear the car.

The faint beeping of the machines reminded Sandy that no, the beautiful woman wasn't asleep.

_She was dying._

"Sandy…", The woman croaked, "Can you show me that dream again?" He nodded, and blew on his palm. The dream sand formed a man and a woman, dancing to a silent tune. THe woman had hair pulled up into a bun, but a few curls escaped and tumbled down her back, covering parts of her elegant dress. The man was in a suit, and a small smile decorated his cheeks.

It was so happy, so perfect.

And reality wasn't.

"Sandy… come closer…", She breathed, and the man floated beside her head, hand on her forehead. "I'm glad we were friends…", She smiled softly, before the beeping stopped, and her chest became still.

That was the first time Sandman cried.

When he lost his only friend.

Samantha Jones.


	3. Chapter 3: Nightmares

A tiny orphan span in circles, toes pointed as he tried to get the move just so, but he couldn't perfect it. His dark hair flopped over his eyes, and he growled as he stopped spinning, and his foot touched the ground.

"That was great, Jake!", A girl smiled, then her smile faltered as her friend glared at her, abnormal red eyes piercing her soul.

"No, it wasn't Amelia. And you know it.", He growled, and she sighed as he started again. The wind howled outside the orphanage, and everyone walked way as the weirdo continued dancing.

That night, Jake sat at the edge of his bed, head in his hands. He was like this every night, curled up in a ball, crying for the parents he knew would never come. And it hurt, knowing that he wasn't wanted. Children his age walked out those doors every day, but one look at his eyes sent anyone running.

"Why am I like this?", He whispered, voice hoarse from the crying. "Why does everyone hate me!?"

"Oh, you don't know hate, child.", Jake looked up, and his jaw went slack as the black man slid inside his room.

"Who are you?", Jake asked, "I haven't seen you before."

"I am the Bogeyman, your worst nightmare.", He smirked, but Jake shook his head.

"You're not my worst nightmare. Being alone is.", He looked down, and Pitch's smirk faltered.

"Being... alone?", He asked, and the orphan nodded. "Why would you be alone?"

"Everyone hates me because of my eyes.", Jake explained, and he looked at Pitch.

"Well, I must say, they're incredible eyes.", Pitch smiled. "What's your name, child?"

"Jake, just Jake."

"Well then, Jake, call me Pitch."

And that was the night that changed everything.

Every night, Pitch would sit with Jake, and Jake would tell him about everyone who bullied him, and ruined his life.

But, one night, when Jake was thirteen, Pitch slipped in the room, and Jake wasn't there. A light was on in Jake's bathroom, and a sliver of gold slipped out from the open door. Pitch snuck over, and took a peek.

"One for being a loser.", Jake hissed, and he slid his hand across his wrist. "One for being a loner.", He repeated the action. "One for being hated. One for being left. One for dancing. One for being you.", Each time he finished the sentence, his hand slid across his wrist. Then it hit him. The smell of fresh, metallic blood.

"Jake?", Pitch whispered, and Jake jumped.

"Pitch?", Jake replied, his voice cracking at the end. "Is that you?"

"It is dear boy, will you come out? I'd hate to scare you.", Pitch smirked, and, while Jake laughed, he swiftly tore the door open and grabbed the teen's wrist. "What is this!?", He gestured to the long, thin cuts on his wrist, and Jake looked away. "I asked you a question."

"It takes away the pain.", He stated, and Pitch let go. Those were the words he _never, ever _thought would come out of a teen's lips.

"Why are you doing this? Where does it hurt?", Pitch asked, kneeling down so he could look eye-to-eye with the teen.

"Everywhere. Amelia was adopted today, and now nobody's there for me.", He began to cry, "Everyone keeps picking on me, and it hurts. None of the adults seem to notice, I wish I was dead!", He sobbed, and Pitch growled. "Pitch?"

"Don't say that you want to die! Lives are important, you know?", He whispered, but Jake shook his head.

"Not mine.", He whimpered, and Pitch forced the teen to look him in the eyes.

"Please, Jake, realise something. I have lived for hundreds of years, and I have never, ever met a life that wasn't important.", He smiled softly, but Jake looked away.

"You're just saying that.", Jake walked out of the bathroom, and Pitch frowned as he followed his friend.

"But, there's things you like to do, right?", He asked. "Like dancing, singing, you like those."

"Yeah, but it doesn't go far when you're a boy.", He scoffed, before pulling out a piece of paper. "I wrote something, can you read it for me?", He handed it to Pitch, who picked it up.

"Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where I told you to run so we'd both be free.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Jake, this is incredible.", Pitch smiled, and Jake smiled.

"Thanks."

Little did Pitch know, that it would all come true.

Two years after that night, Jake got adopted, and Pitch watched as he lived, and laughed, and smiled. There was a light in his eyes that changed them from a bold red to a smooth, warm fire-garnet shade.

Then it happened.

The townspeople found three bodies in the lake, claw marks all over their bloody necks.

And, who was blamed?

Jake, the weird man with the ghostly eyes.

The town dragged him out of his home, where Amelia was, and dragged to the hanging tree, outside town.

It only took a few minutes before Jake was swinging off a rope, and Amelia was crying as everyone walked away.

And Pitch could only watch, helplessly, as Amelia gingerly brought him down and buried him, singing the song Jake wrote.

"Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where I told you to run so we'd both be free.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.", She cried, before walking away.

"Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it seem, if we met up at midnight at the hanging tree.", Pitch recited, before sighing. "Don't leave me waiting, Jake."

And when Pitch returned that night, Jake's ghost was leaning on the tree, smile on his face.

"Hey, Dad."

Pitch smiled, and pulled the man into a hug. "Hello, son."

...

THe song's 'The Hanging Tree' from the Hunger Games, and I just broke my feels.


	4. Chapter 4: Light and Ice

I cried when I wrote this, god.

...

"I told Jamie about you today."

"Really?"

"I think he's going to believe in you soon."

"That's quite daring of you, mentioning me so close to Easter."

"What did you do!?"

"Just caused a little blizzard, that's all."

"Jack. What. Year?"

"1969."

"1969!? Jack! For goodness sake you almost wiped out an entire town! That wasn't little."

"Hey, leave me alone!"

"Jack, please don't ruin Easter ever again."

"But-"

"Please."

Jack sighed,"I promise."

Hope smiled, "Thanks, Jack. I know you can keep your promise." She glanced at the clock. "I need to get up early, I should sleep."

"That's never stopped you before.", Jack laughed.

"Funny, Jack. But it's the mythology presentation tomorrow, I need to sleep.", She explained, and he sighed.

"Still doing me?"

"Well, duh."

"You could get hurt."

"I know Jack."

"I don't want you to."

"I swear, I think you had a little sister. You worry about me more than I worry about Jamie."

"Well, I care."

"Do you do this to everyone who believes in you?", Hope asked, and Jack looked down. "Jack?"

"You're the only one who believes in me, Hope.", He whispered, and Hope stood up. She walked over to him, and pulled him into a hug.

"I'll always believe in you. And that's a promise."

"But what if nobody else sees me?", Jack asked. "What if I'm meant to stay in the dark? Honestly, what goes together better than Cold and Darkness?", He asked, and Hope rolled her eyes.

"Make a snowflake.", She ordered, and he obeyed. The snowflake hovered in the air, and Hope swiftly turned on a torch and shined the light at the snowflake. The light bounced off the ice and lit the whole room. "Light and Ice go better together than cold and darkness."

The clock beeped, and the time changed to midnight.

"Alright, now I'm going to sleep.", Hope smiled, before jumping on her bed, the springs squeaking slightly. "Night, Jack."

"Night, Hope.", He smiled as she pulled up the covers and closed her eyes. He was about to fly out when she began to speak.

"Jack, do you remember what it was like before being Jack Frost?", She asked.

"No."

"I hope you find out soon, someone like you shouldn't have to miss out on that.", She smiled, before falling asleep.

...

He was there when they bashed her.

Her pale skin was a mix of black, purple and blue as bruises blossomed on her arms and face. Her hair was grabbed, and torn out from the roots, what was left was hacked off.

And he couldn't stop them.

He tried everything to help, but their fists only went through him, and hit her. "No! Please!", He kept yelling, but nobody heard him. His protests were carried away by the wind, and he could only watch helplessly.

But, her eyes.

Her eyes never left his face, and they were still bright and hopeful.

Then a rib snapped from a kick, and she gasped softly.

"No!", Jack yelled, and the bullies stepped back.

"Oh crap, we're done for.", One hissed, and a few began to run away. Soon, it was only Jack and Hope.

Jack ran over to her, and kneeled beside her head."No, no, Hope, please, stay awake.", He whispered, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I'll be okay, Jack.", She smiled, before gasping as a red spot grew on her shirt.

"Hold on, Hope, hold on.", Jack whispered, before picking her up and running. The ground crunched beneath his feet, and he ran faster as her breathing became ragged. "Please, stay with me."

Her bruised hand clung to his shirt, and her breathing began to slow.

"Please."

...

Hope was in a hospital, wires and tubes all over her body. Jack was watching her talk with her father, who looked tired, and sore.

"Why did you tell him that?", He asked, and her blue eyes were full of pain.

"I might not make it to tomorrow. Dad, please, make sure he's OK."

"Hope-"

"Please, Dad. He's the only one..."

"Only one?", He sighed,"Of course."

"Thanks, Dad.", SHe smiled, and her dad held her good hand.

"You know, I believed in Jack Frost when I was younger too.", He smiled, and he looked right at Jack. "Let me guess, he had white hair and blue eyes, right?", Hope nodded, "So, I did see him, then..."

"You saw Jack too?"

"I thought everyone did, I guess I was a little weird, huh?"

"You're not weird, people just can't think as fast as you.", Hope smiled, and he laughed.

"'Night, Hope. Sleep well.", Her father smiled, kissing the top of her bruised head. She smiled in return, and he walked out, shutting the generic white door behind him.

"He saw you, Jack.", Hope whispered, and Jack nodded.

"I know, it feels so weird, being seen.", He sighed, and she coughed violently. "Hope!"

"I'm fine.", She coughed, and Jack frowned.

"Don't lie to me, Hope."

"I'm fine.", She protested, and he shook my head.

"No, you aren't.", Jack countered, and she rolled her eyes, just like old times. "If you were, you wouldn't be here.", He added, and she turned away.

"But I feel better here than I have in years...", She whispered, and a tear slid down her face. "I feel whole again..."

"Well I don't know why, you almost got yourself killed!"

"Maybe it's because I almost died defending you...", She trailed off, and Jack stopped.

"Hope-"

"Just, go, Jack.", She whispered, another tear falling. "Go." A green shape darted into the room through the window, and Hope stretched out her hand. On it, was a tiny tooth. The Tooth Fairy picked it up, and pressed a gold coin into her palm, and fragile fingers wrapped around the gold. Jack noticed the gold feather on the fairy's head, unusual, as Tooth's helpers normally had a green feather. This fairy was almost a Baby Tooth. "Look after Jamie, OK?", Hope asked the fairy, who nodded and flew off.

"Hope, I'm sorry-"

"Go, Jack. I want to be left alone.", Hope slid her face under the covers, and closed her eyes.

Then it all came crashing down. The beeping of the monitor slowed, then stopped. "Hope?", Jack asked, "Hope!?"

The door burst open, and a few nurses carried in a defibrillator. They tore off the covers and rolled Hope over so she was on her back. "1000 volts, clear!", One yelled, before shocking her. The electricity coursed through her body, but no heartbeat. Again and again, they tried and tried, but no life. Soon, they left, after covering Hope with a white sheet.

Jack took a step forward, and soon found himself on the edge of the bed, beside her head. He sat down on the chair, his throat dry from the pain."Your warm whispers,

Out of the dark they carry my heart.

Your warm whispers,

Into the dawn they carry me through.

And I am weeping warm honey and milk,

That you stay surrounding me, surrounding me.", He choked out the words to her favorite song, and shook as sobs wracked his immortal body.

She was gone.

And she's never coming back.

...

It snowed when she was buried. White fluff coated the ground, and gave everything a magical feel. But it wasn't magical, it was a nightmare. Jack was perched on a tree, and he watched as her coffin was lowered into the ground then covered up. Her headstone was white marble, and her name was inscribed with gold.

Hope Alicia Bennet

18. 4. 2011

16 years old

When the crowd left, Jack leapt out of the tree and walked over to her grave, where he squatted down. He traced the words with his fingers, and it frosted over, giving everything a slight shimmer. His hand brushed the earth, and an ice rose sprouted from the disturbed dirt. It shined in the sunlight, and lit up her grave ever so slightly.

"I miss you.", He whispered, and it began to snow. White flakes swirled around Jack and the headstone, and for some reason, Jack felt the cold. His arms wrapped around his body, and he closed his eyes as he rocked back and forth. Tears were flowing down his face, leaving long, red trails down his pale face. "I miss you so much...", And he stayed there until the moon shined above him.  
"I'm so sorry."


End file.
